We’re obsessed with the versatility and comfort of this queer fashion favorite.

As a nerdy kid, I strongly identified with Captain Kathryn Janeway of Star Trek: Voyager in her gender-neutral uniform. I loved that people aboard her starship all wore the same outfit, albeit in different colors to signify their roles. The uniform was designed to fit every type of body and perform in every type of scenario — even combat. It was a one-stop-shop for interstellar exploration and diplomacy.

Having grown up in a farming and fishing village, I have vivid memories of locals riding tractors and boats in their unstoppable Carhartt overalls. Overalls were the closest thing to a Star Trek uniform I had — overalls are for everyone, and can be worn in so many styles. I’ve been wearing them since I was a toddler, and throughout my childhood, they withstood tree climbing and adventures in the mud. Now, I wear them to my office job and to dance parties on weekends. Overalls are my go-to fashion piece as they have always felt not only androgynous and neutral, but extremely versatile.

Just over a year ago, I came out as nonbinary. It was terrifying to say the least, but I also felt boundless, knowing that I was on my way to a truer sense of self. I hauled a box of old clothing that made me dysphoric to the thrift store and gifted myself with a Boxing Day present — twopairs of overalls from ASOS in random sizes in hopes that at least one would fit. As soon as they arrived, I haphazardly ripped the package apart in wild abandon and threw on a pair.

I first tried on the larger of the two, and the denim on my skin immediately felt right. I almost tripped over my own feet hopping excitedly to the washroom to check myself out. And check myself out, I did. I was astonished when I looked in the mirror and saw that the pair fit me like Goddess themselves had handcrafted them for me. I stared at my beautiful, nonbinary self in the perfect pair of traditional, baggy dungarees.

Steph Martyniuk

But that was only the first pair. The second pair fit like a glove and also had the comfort and length I needed. The suspender back is to die for and the tight fit looks incredible with a crop top or turtleneck. They also make my butt look amazing. Buying two different styles of overalls online and having them both fit well was a triumph for someone who purposefully shuns changing rooms and malls due to dysphoria and the endless disappointment that trying on clothing brings.

Since buying my first two pairs last year, I have almost exclusively alternated between each pair. I am rarely out of overalls. I put them on and immediately feel like my adorable, nerdy nonbinary self. It doesn’t matter the occasion, or if I want to express myself in a more masculine or feminine manner — overalls look fantastic with everything I pair and accessorize them with. Dressing myself used to be a chore; now it’s a new gender adventure every morning.

I still wish I woke up on a starship in the Delta Quadrant to put on a Starfleet uniform, but at least now I wake up with the comfort of knowing that I can throw on a pair of overalls and take on whatever comes my way. I’ve got my own wicked nonbinary superhero costume and nothing but gender euphoria.

Steph Martyniuk

Deidre Olsen is a queer, nonbinary writer and digital marketer based in Toronto whose work has appeared in Refinery29, New York Magazine’s The Cut, Brooklyn Magazine, Narratively, and more.